Foreign investors were net sellers for the second consecutive session, unloading a net 382.1 billion won worth of shares. Retail investors bought a net 348.5 billion won, and institutional investors scooped up a net 21.4 billion won worth of shares.

The secondary Kosdaq also ended lower, following the main bourse, dropping 22.74 points or 3.24 percent, to close the day at 678.38. Pharmaceutical shares fell 4.29 percent on average and semiconductor-related shares declined 3.47 percent in the tech and bio-heavy index.

The Korean won closed at 1,120.30 won against the greenback, up 6.20 won from the previous session’s close.